But KVIL saw a huge, underserved demographic: women listeners between the ages of twenty-five and forty-four account for some 22 percent of the Dallas/Fort Worth radio market. Steve Eberhart was a deejay at KVIL. A ratings war is brewing between two oldies stations, and a controversial gadget might decide who wins. After working for two years with the Voice of the United Nations Command in Korea , Chapman moved to Connecticut and station WHNC/New Haven. CHAPMAN, Ralph Frederick (Ron) Born January 25, 1936, in Newton, MA, Chapman has been heard on the airwaves in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since the 1950s. The individuality, the uniqueness. Yes, my dear, the world is still a warm and safe and funny place to be, and you are on top of it with us, you know everything we do, which is a lot, and life keeps getting better. I can give you failure after failure of people whove come on the air in this market and tried to do that. He spent more than three decades at KVIL, toiling as a morning deejay, music director and program director, transforming the adult contemporary format into a major success on the FM band. So I had just had my jacket cleaned. I dont believe that any one person can be in that much control and yet allow for the station to be the living, breathing organization it has to be in order to survive. Meet Jody Dean: A man for this season: Lost job leads to a better life Homepage; Contact US; About US; Ron Chapman Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight. Catch up on the day's news you need to know. Ron Chapman was born on 25 January 1936 in Newton, Massachusetts, USA. And this is, like, in the 80s. Last time I dialed in for any length was the first day of September2000, whenRon Chapman signed off after a 31-year stint as The Voice of KVIL and, by extension,Dallas radio. BUD BUSCHARDT, HE'S SUMP'N ELSE! - Memories of Dallas by Memories Inc Everyone I knew went to college. He did not. We had to beg them to stop sending checks. The program, based on "American Bandstand . Ron Chapmans the only one that talks to her that first hour, and in that hour, 1 can mold her frame of mind. That was the power of Ron Chapman. They thought we were going 50 miles. He works on his show twelve, fourteen, sixteen hours a day. Most of the radio folk we talked to have a love-hate relationship with the man. About all they had were some call letters, and not very good ones at that. . Into the breach jumped Ron, who offered to loan me his brand-new Cadillac Seville. Legendary radio host Ron Chapman has passed away - Audacy KVIL wasso named for its original HQ in the Highland Park Village, after Charles Meeks acquired a broadcast license from the feds to open up shop in 1958. 2023 Audacy, Inc. All rights reserved. Didnt think about it until after I handed the keys back to him. Ron Chapman - My Little Story Thanks a lot, everybody! They were pissed off, and they loved it. Chapman realized that if he won Fort Worth, he could almost double the stations numbers. So I went by my hairdressers, who lived in Oak Cliff. He is best known as the morning drive anchor of radio station KVIL, on the 103.7 frequency. In the meantime, you play every night like it was opening night, kick ass, and prove me wrong. . I would carpool my son to school, pick up kids. On the mike, butter wouldnt melt in his mouth. Ron Chapman has passed away. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Mess with Ron and I might become an ape in heat and jump all over you. The man who sat at the top of the hill, a legend in broadcasting. And Ill tell you who finds it difficult to work for me. And one morning, I was going to go do a speech for the Dallas Board of Realtors at 9 oclock. He said, Thats the second time youve used that item and its the last! People just trusted him, Dean said Monday. Or we could go KVIL.. (Her cohort, Ron Chapman, who clocked more than 45 successful years on local radio and television [including WFAA-TV,] died in 2021.) A ratings war is brewing between two oldies stations, and a controversial gadget might decide who wins. He was always very, very kind. Who is available? Ironically, Chapman so dominates the KVIL lineup that the DJs around him seem unremittingly unmemorable. According to Tony Garrett. Chapman had served as emcee for a couple of years in a row and had complained both times about the sound system. A D Magazine feature on Chapman from December 1989, reproduced this week in honour of his life, stated that he had a wife called Nance (pronounced Nancy) Murray, for three years at that point. When Ron Chapman, Morning Host of KVIL in Dallas, Texas, asked his listeners back in 1998 to send $20 to the station, they did to the tune of $240,000. Im absolutely realistic in believing that nobody remembers you, Chapman says. So when we cut away to commercial, we would turn off the lights so the studio would get cool. I knew I was fired. There is no way that Vince Lombardi could coach football in todays world. CBS Radio has rebranded 103.7 on Your FM Dial as the Amp, a moniker also bestowed upon energy drinksand vitamins that promise "alean, ripped physique." But the thing about it is, ten minutes later, its like it never happened.. He was one of the greatest radio people to ever sit behind the mic. Chapman returned to the states in 1959, took a radio job in New Haven, Connecticut, and then, when a co-worker landed a job with KLIF in Dallas, Chapman went alongat $175 a week, more than double his Connecticut salary. A computerized Young Chang Grand Piano is playing Gershwin via floppy disk over near the bar. Then the man loaned him enough money to buy a ticket. And this was totally not intended. Selden went full circle in his personal life too, abusing drugs and alcohol until he wound up doing some time in what he calls the Home for the Occasionally Coherent, the state hospital at Rusk. But the precise age, her birthday, and zodiac remain unknown. Chapman thought that was funny. Im paying you to write! Born plain old Ralph Chapman in Haverhill, Massachusetts, Ron began performing at the ripe age of three. For all time, at the moment, 2023 year, Ron Chapman earned $73 Million. How would he like to be remembered? The winning name was Chief Rain in the Pants.. The other bold stroke by the founders of KVIL was its attitude toward Dallass sister city, Fort Worth. It was an itty-bitty bear. He is best known as the morning drive anchor of radio station KVIL, on the 103.7 frequency. This is a first, he admits. Industry critics say that while Chapman is full-tilt today, he is not really doing much to prepare his station for Life After Ron. But back then, you prayed for Vince Lombardi. In the late 1990's Chapman joined KLUV-FM, an Oldies format that saw high ratings upon his arrival. The Emperor is in his tower, conjuring, working on the exact wording and inflection of the incantation that will once again secure his seemingly unending supremacy. Did Ron Chapman have a wife? KVIL radio personality's life explored This is the story of how a chance encounter lead to a close friendship that would span four decades, and a revolutionary radio travel program that is in it's 46th year. PART OF AUDACY NEWS. There will be no service, however a "public gathering for friends and colleagues" is being planned at this time. But if anyone were to remember me, I would hope it would be as someone who took radio disc jockeying and maybe gave it a little respect. Im rough to work for. So we all lined up, and we said, Okay, hoooo! And we started to walk. Right away, you know two things about her: she has no time to waste, and you dont mess with her. By Casey Carr. It was also an opportunity, and that night Rons car found itself parked outside every cool bar and nightclub on Greenville Avenue. She loved going to NorthPark to dance with other teenagers during the daily weekday broadcast of SumpN Else. It was your classic, stereotypical young yuppie couple from Highland Park. Ron was a legend already in the 60s in Dallas, Fairchild said Monday from her home in Los Angeles. Nobodys going to build monuments or hold big memorial services. On the stairwell is a wall full of pictures: Ron in the midst of a million one-dollar bills. of course. "And when he left, that was it.". Everywhere 1 go, the broadcasters are asking me how to do that. Who could follow Ron Chapman? He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2012. When Ron met Nance twenty years ago at a charity telethon, he was immediately struck by her good looks, he says, recalling that he trotted out a bunch of glib compliments before saying, By the way, Im Ron Chapman. Her reply: Oh. Garrett remembers Chapmans blowing up at him for reading the same filler story at several news slots. In 1959, as "Irving Harrigan" he joined the staff KLIF/Dallas, where he teamed up with Jack Woods (a.k.a. Also, his people say that his expectations for others are not nearly as high as those he imposes on himself. In the service, Chapman was the Fifties equivalent of Robin Williams, doing a sort of Good Morning, Korea. On the troop ship the first night out, his sister recalls, it came time for the sergeant to hand out assignments. And the guy was the typical model. #1. Its a tribute to Chapman that the call letters of what is, after all, just a radio station, have entered the argot of the trade. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, We can't say goodbye to KVIL until its legendary voice Ron Chapman gives it a proper sign-off, CBS Radio has rebranded 103.7 on Your FM Dial as the Amp, Charles Meeks acquired a broadcast license from the feds to open up shop in 1958, Woman arrested in killing of 3 children at Italy, Texas, home in Ellis County, Frisco Liberty battles back vs. Lubbock Cooper to claim UIL Class 5A state championship, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defers comment on revival of sexual harassment lawsuit, What we know after 3 children killed, 2 wounded at Ellis County home, The Cowboys are closer than you think to a total makeover at running back, American Airlines, flight attendants file for mediation during contract negotiations, New Uptown office tower lands second major lease, Years after North Texas bid for Amazons second headquarters, retail giant halts plan, Mesquite to become the site of new 2,500-home community, North Texas builders see influx of activity in new year, but challenges persist, Mark Wahlberg pours tequila for fans at Dallas restaurant during thunderstorm, Dude Perfects trick-shot town could find a home in North Texas, or somewhere else, Slow start for Luka Doncic? Ron Chapman, a Dallas - Fort Worth radio legend, has died at the age of 85, according to CBS 11 KTVT in DFW. This is a secret, but we take a lot of the staff to the big derrick at Six Flags and put them on top. Chapman's booming voice is now a shadow of its former self, the result of a stroke suffered just before Christmas in 2012. The Amp is now playing a handful of pop-radio hits, by the likes of Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift and DJ Snake, over and over and over, ad infinitum. Says Chapman, Electronically, we dont do much, but we are very conscious of highs. His family received condolences from thousands . - Click to. Ron Chapman's radio career began in 1953the day he graduated from high schoolwhen he became a disc jockey at station WHAV/Haverhill, MA. The slightly bugged eyes turn flat, focused inward. RIP Ron pic.twitter.com . At the haunted house, Chapman took along a producer and equipped her with a microphone. No sexism, period. He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Deborah Chapman; mother Helen Chapman; twin sister Connie Smith; sons Eric . In 1989, KVIL reigned supreme for three consecutive quarters, reaching 10.5 ratings points in the July Arbitrons, 3.1 points ahead of runner-up KSCS. Its what youd get if God had money, Nance says. But I got my bucketful of him a long time ago. There was some serious speculation for a while in Haverhill about the Ghost Tuba Player. I used to do the 11 to 2 a.m. shift, during college. Ron.. Legendary Dallas DJ Ron . We put them on constantly.. Early on. Shes divorced, and may have a kid at home that shes sole support for. The piece coincided with Chapman's 20th anniversary at KVIL, where, The News noted, "His hyper, happy-talk 'Ron Chapman and the Morning Group' has been the almost-constant No. For example, co-workers wondered about his habit of dumping all his foreign currency into a drawer when he returns from trips. So why should you go on the air and tell people who love living here that the town is a piece of crap? I love doing the morning show but my bones are beginning to tell me that hitting the ground running at 4:10 every morning is not going to be supported forever by whatever frame that I carry around with me and happy to have served me around for a lot of years but it looks as tho I really need to be taking care of it instead of it taking care of me. In one infamous stunt, notes his Hall of Fame bio, Chapman told his listeners to each send $20 to the station; within three days, the station had received $200,000. Some estimates put the final amount even higher. Chapman had already carved out a legend as one-half of Charlie & Harrigan on KLIF. I told her so. The next step from there would have been the street. Its mascot was an incontinent kinkajou. The radio industry took to social media to reflect on Chapman's life and career. First published on April 26, 2021 / 11:54 AM. RON CHAPMAN ANDERSON - Ronald Ray Chapman, 67, of Anderson, died Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at Rainey Hospice House. The obituary was featured in Dallas Morning News on May 16, 2021. We became great friends, Fairchild said. He always brought light to every room entered. A little egotistical, perhaps. Paul: Okay, so let's go back to Bud's career. Ralph Chapman Obituary (1936 - 2021) - Dallas, TX - Dallas Morning News You understand that? Boom! But suppose, suddenly, a rogue meteorite comes falling out of the sky and mashes him into a puddle at the corner of Mockingbird and Central? By KLTV Digital Media Staff. I swear to you. Nobody. Even after he retired, he would call and ask for help, and I was always happy to do it. He was so popular in Dallas in the 70s, 80s and 90s that his station, KVIL, sold for more than the Dallas Cowboys. Chapman is a perfectionist in every way, Nance says. Not only is he 110 percent fireproof and the goose that laid the golden egg, but he is shadow management, and he must be catered to and appeased. When the show aired its final broadcast, Chapman played as its swan song Turn! *To hear some classic clips of Chapman from the old KLIF days, go to www.reelradio.com/se and www.historyofklif.com. We had a contest to name the honey bear. (To Everything There Is a Season) by the Byrds. The Emperor is in his tower . Name another program director or air person of any type anywhere in the country who would come in at 11 oclock and cut a promo thats going to run overnight. They had no bathtub, no phone, no family car. Chapman invited him to come watch the show at some point. DALLAS Updated at 9:41 p.m. with more quotes from colleagues. KVIL - Wikiwand He always has some grand scheme bubbling up to the surface, she says, and hes always looking for some way to convince the rest of us that its a good idea. No spam, ever. We used a two-way radio. For full obituary please visit. Baby, it's cold outside. Chapman remembers all the other long-gone-and-forgotten ones who came gunning for him: the Mobys in the Morning, the Stevenses and Pruetts. And I was going to run faster, work harder, get street-smarter. 'And with honor I return' - The Northwest Florida Daily News . Chapman was involved at the time with a woman in New York, an aspiring actress. Then ten to midnight. The man had to be on the air at 5:30 in the morning. "Dusty Attics", Episode 23: Ron Chapman - Jody Dean Former Dallas Morning News columnist Robert Wilonsky contributed to this report. "It's a shame it's gone, but KVIL had a great history," he said. But its going to be hard to groom someone to replace him when he hogs the limelight and wants all the glory for himself.. . When it comes to his precious radio station, the man is as fiercely protective of his listeners and his formal as a mother sow is of her litter. If Chapman knows just what to say on the air, he also knows what not to blurt out: no jokes that have females as the butt. We edited it out. Ron Chapman Death - Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death Just heard radio legend Ron Chapman has died. Michael Selden, a DJ at KVIL from 1974 to 1979, has gone full circle with Chapman emotionally, from admiration to loathing and back again. He will later say that its almost like having an extra lobe in his brain. A lot of people couldnt handle it, Dean said of Chapmans style. 12:02 PM on Apr 26, 2021 CDT Updated at 4:57 PM on Apr 26, 2021 CDT. Longtime North Texas disc jockey Ron Chapman, who spent more than four decades on the air in Dallas-Fort Worth, died Monday. Honestly, I thought everyone knew that hed started out in radio with a program called Tips for Teenagers.. And even then they didnt get it. Nevertheless, she also has to be in between her late '70s and early '80s. Ron Chapman announced his retirement on 98.7 KLUV at age 69 saying he was retiring from the morning program and going on vacation with his wife Nancy. Consultants studied and copied KVIL, launching dozens of lite-rock imitations across the country. However, Mylife.com suggested that Nance Chapman was born on 25 February 1941 which made her 80 years old as of . According to industry analysts, fellow media, and KVIL employees, former and current, Chapman is a man of planned spontaneity, of freeze-dried warmth. He remained at KVIL-FM for 32 years, serving as program . If someone leaves KVIL and wants, a year later, to work for Y-95, and theyve just been in the Dallas Observer calling me a, uh, you -fill- in-the-blanks, well, they know better than to call me for references.. But she never did., Coast to coast, when a radio stationbegins considering a format change, radio insiders say, the list of options goes like this: We could go country. Copyright 2023, D Magazine Partners, Inc. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Ron Chapman had this offer from KVIL. And I did everything. He became widely known, according to his bio page on the Radio Hall of Fame website, for his humor, outrageous stunts and giveaways. And for his astronomically high ratings. I can walk faster than most people can run, Chapman once told The Dallas Morning News. Maybe for forty-eight hours, max. Ive always tried to make my sportscast understandable to the non-sports fan. 10/11/1929 - 05/23/2020 . So, Chapman can afford to surprise his wife with a 4.9-carat diamond, keep houses in town and country, and fly to Madrid on a whim., Born in January 1936, Ralph Frederick Chapman was the youngest of three children raised in the back rooms of his dads store during the Depression. Hes like the man who juggles chain saws while singing Verdi. After a brief, hoarse "Oh my God," he shrugged off the news with all the oh-well of an 80-year-old man who bowed on Dallas teenybop radio juggernaut KLIF-AM when the Beatles were still known as TheQuarrymen. Back then, Chapman says, wed latch on to anything. After 45 years in radio, Ron Chapman retired from his morning show on June 24, 2005. FACE FOR RADIO: Chapman hosted a popular TV show. They were buying Ron Chapmanat something like a half million dollars a pound. Ron would fairly often show up while I was on the air to go in a studio and record a promo that might run overnight, only to plug something that was going to be on his show. At one point, Chapman broadcast live while skydiving from a plane . Ron Chapman on the State of Radio and Why He'll Never Make a Comeback Many of us grew up listening to him on #KVIL. There are no excuses in Ron Chapmans world except You screwed up. Were keeping you on the payroll through October. If shed said, I f-ed up, Im on the team, shed be here still. He had this real, real long tongue, and it could get into the bottle. Do you understand this? Before SumpN Else finished its run, Fairchild had already scored her first movie credit, appearing as Faye Dunaways double in the Oscar-winning film, Bonnie and Clyde. Posted Mon, Apr 26, 2021 at 8:33 pm CT. Dallasites are grieving the death today of deejay Ron Chapman, a man whose voice was a constant companion throughout the Metroplex for more than five . Three Time Texas Radio Hall Of Famer, Ron Chapman Has Died We could go New Age. Born October 11, 1942 in Ashland, KY, he was the son of the late Otis Guy and . Dallas Radio Legend Ron Chapman Recovering From A Stroke - Blogger Theyll still be talking about that twenty years from now. The radio industry took to social media to reflect on Chapman's life and career. His older sister, Florence Littauer, now a motivational speaker, used her seniority to motivate Ralph, teaching him tongue twisters and then persuading him to repeat them for amazed visitors at the store-for a small fee. By now, everyone knows the story about how, in 1988, Chapman asked his KVIL listeners to send in $20 each, without ever saying why, and took in $240,000. KVIL (103.7 FM, Alt 103.7) is a commercial radio station dual-licensed to Highland Park and Dallas, Texas.It is owned by Audacy, Inc. and it serves the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in North Texas.The station's studios are located along North Central Expressway in Uptown Dallas. His family asks for time to process this loss, and thanks you for your kindness, understanding and prayers., There will not be a service, but, the Hall of Fame noted, a public gathering of friends and colleagues is being planned.. The station would cycle through many owners, all of whom readily admittedthey were really buying Chapman-- "a warm and fuzzy tyrant," D called him in 1989, which he took as compliment. And she looks so good by the time she gets to the office, she had to be up by 5:30. Blonde, voluptuous, impeccably well-mannered, and gracious, she smiles through a mouthful of sharp teeth. Woods was Charlie Brown. Nothing to embarrass a woman who is even remotely prudish. Hes now a news anchor for CBS Channel 11 and will replace Chapman on KLUVs morning show. So he comes to me, and I open the mic. And the 01 Man on KVIL is still saying, aint this great? Nance Chapman Wiki: Ron Chapman Wife, Age, Job - Stars Offline I just never mellowed out. Chapman admits. From Haverhill, Mass (also Ed McMahon's first rad - 2 years ago. Barnum. Ron Chapman: Final Sign-Off and Song on 98.7 KLUV - YouTube List Of Coronavirus Testing Sites In Texas, Legendary radio host Ron Chapman has passed away, Featured Image Photo Credit: Courtesy Mitch Carr, Bankman-Fried might use flip phone under stricter bail plan, Woman accused of killing ill husband released from jail, Alaska's arduous Iditarod kicks off with ceremonial start, Snow blankets Northeast as cleanup begins from deadly storm, Civilians flee embattled town as Ukrainian pullout looms. He died Monday at age 85. Next to the picture, the new kid on the block had penned, Dont buy a house here. Each year, I am more and more aware of the power we have in that room, Chapman confides. RIP to a #NTX legend," wrote Dallas County judge Clay Jenkins, in a tweet on April 26. Weve become Kleenex. Ron Chapman, DFW radio legend, dies at age 85 - Blogger I'm saddened to tell you that legendary Dallas DJ Ron Chapman has passed away at 85. And we stayed in touch over the years. Nance prayed for her. Knowing Ron over the years has been an adventure. Theres a Stevie Wonder song where right in the middle of the song he does this loud, high-pitched scream. Ron Chapman - Press Club of Dallas Why Ron Chapman Was An All-Time Great - Radio Ink I would hope it would be as someone who elevated the art.. But it was impossible to replicate a station that made a growing big city feel like a small town. Thousands showed up. Ron Chapman, former radio host at KVIL, KLUV, dies at 85 - WFAA "Ron Chapman is a dazzlingly . And yet, he would never ask me to be one of the [featured] dancers. That's a very sad commentary on the times. If he thought you had an iota of talent, and you wound up on that station, then the expectations for you were enormous. And, you know, Im an easy-going guy. Read our daily updates at 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m., and our complete obituaries in The Herald-Dispatch on Wednesday and But her memories of her tenure at the station are not pleasant. ", China sets this year's economic growth target at 'around 5%', 20 cars of Norfolk Southern cargo train derail in Ohio, China expands defense budget 7.2%, marking slight increase, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and husband are divorcing, Teen hikers rescued after days stuck in California snowstorm, Trump pitches a sequel, but shies away from attacking rivals, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 19; 3 still missing, How one storm system wreaked havoc from coast to coast, Before Oscars, Everything Everywhere sweeps Spirit Awards, Californians await key decisions from reparations task force. He is the chairman of Southwest Airlines. Be sure to wear a hat. And every morning he was there for us, standing at his mic, drinking Dr Pepper, talking to the city. Two things worth noting: back then, no one had any fear about writing "$20" on an envelope - and we never gave our street address. When the drawer becomes filled with bills and change, he bundles it up and sends it to the man. Ron Chapman's legendary $20 announcement from March, 1988. It was just ambition. We decided we would keep Fort Worth, and treat her like the lady that she is. Following his tenure at KLIF, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM, Dallas-Fort Worth, in 1969. He is single-minded, living and breathing and eating KVIL to the detriment of everything else in his life. Anybody can read, goddammit!
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